Folding box



Jan. 13,1959

Filed Sept. 6, 1956 A. P. MATTES FOLDING BOX 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1.JIai'ie3 INVENTOR I BY I I 0 ATTORNEYS.

Jan. '13, 1959 A, P, MATTEs 2,868,404

FOLDING BOX Filed Sept. 6," 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 13, 1959 FiledSept. 6, 1956 A. P. MATTES FOLDING BOX 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 2,868,404 FOLDING BOX Alan P. Mattes, Sacramento,Calif. Application September 6, 1956, Serial No. 608,278 1 Claim. (Cl.217--14) This invention relates to collapsible boxes.

An object of this invention is to provide a collapsible box which isdesigned particularly for receiving fruit, vegetables or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a collapsible box animproved means for locking the box in collapsed position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a collapsible box whichincludes means whereby the contents may receive air when a series of theboxes are stacked one upon the other.

A further object of this invention is to provide a collapsible box whichis of simple construction and can be easily and quickly moved from acollapsed to an assembled position and can be collapsed in a short time.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will behereinafter described and the novel features thereof defined in theappended claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a detail side elevation of a box constructed according to anembodiment of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view partly broken away of the box.

Fig. 3 is a detail end elevation of the box.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a detail side elevation showing the box in collapsed position.

Fig. 7 is a detail side elevation of the box showing the side oppositefrom that in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the box in collapsed position.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken on line 10-10 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings the numerals 10 and 11 designate a pair ofside walls which are rectangular in side elevation and the numerals 12and 13 designate a pair of end walls. The side and end walls arehingedly connected together by means of a pair of diagonally disposedouter hinges 14 and 15 and the side and end Walls are also hingedlysecured together by means of pairs of inner hinges generally indicatedat 16. The inner hinges 16 each have an L-shaped leaf 17 and a hingedbarrel 18 is disposed inwardly from the adjacent edge of an end wall,the purpose for which will be hereinafter described.

The hinge member 15 has a spring pressed pintle 19 which has a spring 20engaging thereabout to constantly urge the pintle 19 downwardly. Thepintle 19 is formed with an inverted L-shaped locking member 21 whichextends right angularly from the upper end of the pintle 19. ThisL-shaped member 21 in the collapsed position of the box is adapted asshown in Fig. 7 to have the depending side 22 extending over theopposite side wall 10.

A pair of bottom wall members 23 and 24 are hingedly secured by hinges25 and 26 respectively to the side walls 10 and 11 at a point spacedupwardly a short distance from the lower edges of the side walls 10 and11 respectively. The end walls 12 and 13 each have a cleat 27 secured tothe inner side thereof at the lower edge thereof which forms a seat orrest against which the bottom members 23 and 24 are adapted to engagewhen the box is in its assembled condition. The hot- 2,868,404 PatentedJan. 13, 1959 tom walls 23 and 24 are each provided with a pair ofcutouts or notches 27 at one end thereof so that the bottom walls 23 and24 may be raised upwardly and may pass the hinge barrels 18 of the hingemembers 16 and may thereafter lie in the space between the barrels 18and the outer side of the L-shaped leaf members 17 which is attached tothe side walls 10 and 11. Each end wall 12 and 13 is provided with ahorizontally disposed notch 28 downwardly from the upper edge thereoffor extension of the fingers into the notches 28 for carrying the box.The upper edge of each end wall also has a cleat 29 secured thereto sothat when the boxes are stacked one upon the other there will be a spacebetween the upper edges of the side wall for ventilation and the like.

In the assembled condition of the box as shown in Figs. 1 to 4inclusive, the bottom members 23 and 24 will be disposed in horizontalinner edge abutting position and will rest on the bottom cleats 27. Atthis time the locking member 21 may be disposed in an inwardly inclinedposition wherein the depending locking tongue 22 is disposed on theinner side of the side wall 11. In this manner the locking member 21will not catch onto any clothing or other articles when the box is inits assembled condition. In order to collapse the box, the bottommembers 23 and 24 are raised upwardly whereupon the end members 12 and13 are swung inwardly to assume the positions shown in Figs. 7 to 10inclusive. The side walls 10 and 11 will be outermost as shown in Fig. 8and at this time the locking member 21 is pulled upwardly and extendedover the upper edges of the bottom member 23 and the side walls 10. Thespring 20 will yieldably hold the locking member 21 in looking position.The cleats 29 as shown in Fig. 8 have a width suflicient to extend overthe edges of the collapsed side and bottom walls so that the cleats 29will provide a protecting means for protecting the edges of the side andbottom walls in the collapsed position of the box and when the collapsedboxes are stacked one upon the other the pile of collapsed boxes will bea relatively solid pile.

What is claimed is:

A collapsible box comprising a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls,diagonally disposed pairs of outer hinges secured one pair to a sidewall and an adjacent end wall, another pair of outer hinges beingsecured to to the other side and end wall, diagonally disposed innerhinges secured to the ends of said side and end walls opposite from saidouter hinges, a pair of bottom walls, a pair of inwardly projectingrelatively narrow cleats, one carried by the inner face of each endwall, means hingedly securing said bottom walls to the inner faces ofsaid side walls, said bottom walls in the assembled position of the boxseating on said cleats, one of said outer hinges having a spring-pressedpintle, and an inverted L- shaped locking member integral with saidpintle and lockingly engageable over adjacent face abutting side andbottom Walls, said cleats being of a dimension substantially equal tothe combined thickness of the side, end and bottom walls, and adapted tocompletely overlie said walls when said box is in collapsed position toprovide a protection therefor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS489,535 Kitching Jan. 10, 1893 602,826 Cave Apr. 26, 1898 647,390Feaster Apr. 10, 1900 810,283 Imrie Jan. 16, 1906 940,009 Gulline Nov.16, 1909 1,005,520 Dodge Oct. 10, 1911 1,464,391 Orban Aug. 7, 19231,471,428 Tucker Oct. 23, 1923 1,853,285 Puffer Apr. 12, 1932

